Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Why I Miss D.C. Media Girl



Because once upon a time there existed bloggers that were also media insiders, who felt it was their duty, as journalists, to pass along the straight media dope to us rubes on the outside of the Media Dream Machine trying to deduce just exactly how things had gone so horribly wrong.

But now?

...
Everyone from Bush administration official Paul Wolfowitz to disgraced former New York Times reporter Judith Miller has been trotted out across various networks to give their opinion about what should be done to combat the militant group ISIS. [Rachael] Maddow was clearly less-than-pleased by this.

"It is very frustrating to see that this is the way that we handle debates about foreign policy in this country," she said. "We take people who were so, provably, terribly wrong and bring them back and treat them like experts on the very subject they were wrong about. It is maddening."

Luckily, she had a solution:
“Hey Sunday shows! Hey op-ed pages! Hey cable news! Hey everybody! We know you are tempted to keep booking these yahoos on these subjects, but if you keep turning to the people who were famously wrong about Iraq to ask them about to do about Iraq, you at least will be laughed at. And you will be embarrassed that you did this. And you will eventually have to apologize or at least explain yourself for why you thought Bill Kristol should be explaining what to do now. We can see what you’re doing, and it’s funny, but not in a good way.”
See, here's the thing.  However shrewdly rubes like me may speculate from way out here in the sticks about how the Hell these Neocon monsters keep getting invited back into the national spotlight, it is impossible me to find out the truth, for sure and on-the-record.  Realistically, the people who need to be asked hard questions are never going to return my phone-calls, nor will their assistants, interns or secretaries.  

But MSNBC shares several floors of a building with NBC.

And they cross-pollinate all the time.

If Dr. Maddow really wants to find out why the fuck "we" keep booking  "people who were so, provably, terribly wrong" and "treat[ing] them like experts on the very subject they were wrong about" all she has to do -- literally -- is grab a video camera, walk down the hall and ask her colleague David Gregory or his bookers and producer why they do what they do.

Then air that footage.

And then we'll all know.

7 comments:

Tom said...

Well, Driftglass, given that her boss is craven belly-crawling poltroon Phil Griffin, I think that Maddow did about all she could do about that.

I miss DC media girl too, but really, at risk of her job, how long could she keep that up? To no real effect.

And I think we know the why of it -- these people never went away. They are friends and neighbors with David Gregory, they play golf with Bob Shieffer, they live next door to George S's mansion. Same parties, same private schools for their kids, same vacays in the Hamptons. **Of course** they are called first! Who else would they call? These are the first people on the Rolodex, and oh! yeah! the media people actually **answer their calls.** It's all one big happy backslapping hugathon, at our expense.

It's no mystery.

mellowjohn said...

"...grab a video camera, walk down the hall and ask her colleague David Gregory or his bookers and producer why they do what they do."

and then start looking for a new job.

Kathleen said...

Thanks for the reminder about DC Media Girl. Sadly I had forgotten about her. Also, too, I really miss Media Whores.

Robt said...

I do not think anyone will have to consider if they should "engage: the radical right mathmos.
They will come to you.....!

-------Iraqwars------
Epileptic episode XVI

*****The return of Darth Vader

Starring; Dick Cheney, Liz Cheney and the dupes that support them.

Directed by; Liz Cheney
Produced by; Liz Cheney
Casting by; Liz Cheney
Written by; Liz Cheney
================================

It is so pathetic that Liz Cheney who failed her Senate election bid in Wyoming, hasn't been able to find a job since her father left the Vice Presidency.
One would think Liz Cheney would be able to find honest work (or right wing work) with her connections.
What about the Heritage Foundation? A.L.E.C. Club for Growth? Americans for Prosperity?
Daddy dick cannot get her a legacy job with Halliburton
?
Is Liz Cheney unemployed, mooching off America?

Liz had to drag out the Dad with the heart of a pig, at his age to beg conservative voters and some Koch Bros. type to support her for a Citizens United free paid media speech ?
So she can come to you and "ENGAGE" you!

Jado said...

" is grab a video camera, walk down the hall and ask her colleague David Gregory or his bookers and producer why they do what they do."

HA! Yeah, that would be great practical joke. Davey and the Zoo Crew would laugh and laugh about the idea that anyone would ever answer a question like this on video

"Then air that footage."

AAAANNNDD that's when the security guards would be talking to Dr. Maddow and her people in a windowless room far from the exits...

One Fly said...

Call me whatever because to me the answer is easy.

Why is the media the way it is now and in the last decade or so?

They are the same as all the Cheney's they put on. Why would you do much else when your agenda as "the media" in this country is the same as theirs.

Pinkybum said...

That's Jon Stewart's job.